IMPACT and Siptu are organising a protest by community and voluntary sector workers this Wednesday, 22^nd March at 1.30pm outside Dáil Éireann. The unions are calling on ministers Donohoe, Coveney and Varadkar to engage on community and voluntary sector funding, service commissioning, and pay restoration.

It’s over a year since IMPACT launched its ‘caring at what cost’ campaign for pay restoration in the community and voluntary sector. The initiative is seeking pay recovery through the gradual restoration of funding cuts in the agencies where they work. The union represents some 5,000 workers in voluntary and community organisations.

IMPACT is encouraging all members working in the sector – and their supporters – to attend. If you intend to go you should contact lead organiser Joe O’Connor on joconnor@impact.ie.

A new analysis by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that public service workers now earn slightly less than their private sector counterparts when you take account of the so-called ‘pension levy,’ plus factors like occupation, education and length of service. The figures show that, on average, public sector staff now earn 0.65% less than workers in the private sector.

However, public servants earn over 5% more than their private sector counterparts if you ignore the so-called ‘pension levy.’ The value of public sector pensions – and the contribution that public servants make towards their retirement income – is likely to be a major bone of contention in talks on a successor to the Lansdowne Road agreement, which are set to take place in the early summer.

The new data show that the gap between private and public earnings declined steadily between 2011 and 2014, in response to various changes in the two sectors during that period.

The figures take account of the January 2010 public service pay cuts and, unlike the last similar CSO study, they also include significant temporary reductions in pay for public servants earning over €65,000 a year. These were introduced in 2011 under the Haddington Road agreement.

Modest but steady private sector pay increases in the four-year period – when, aside from increments, public service pay was largely static – will also have pushed up average private sector earnings.

The almost 10% reduction in public service numbers in the years 2011-2014 will also have contributed to the relative reduction in average public service earnings. This is because staff who left were likely to have been at the higher end of their pay scales. They were either not replaced, or their replacements mainly came in at the first point of entry grades, bringing down the overall average.

The changing composition of the workforce – in both the public and private sectors – can have a significant impact on pay comparisons. But this is often ignored by commentators.

The CSO figures also reveal that the gender pay gap is much narrower in the public sector than among commercial employers. Many male public servants now earn up to 6.6% less than men in private employment, while women in the public sector earn 6.5% more than their private sector counterparts. This reflects the fact that many women in private sector employment experience very low earnings.

The stats also reveal that higher public service earners now have significantly lower incomes than similar staff in the private sector. This reflects the fact that public service pay cuts in the years between 2009 and 2011 were significantly larger for those on higher salaries, and that wage differentials between high and lower earners are much narrower in the public service than in private business.

Unions have proposed a new higher income tax rate for those on very high incomes of over €1 million a year, after an ICTU report found the basic pay of chief executive officers increased by between 11% and 236% in eight of Ireland’s top 21 private sector companies over the last six years. Average private sector earnings increased by just 2% in the same period.

The report, “Because we’re worth it: The truth about CEO pay in Ireland", found that, in seven of 21 firms, the CEO earns more than 50 times as much as the average worker.

It says a 40-year career would not be enough for the average worker to match the CEO’s 2015 earnings in 11 of the companies studied. And the average Irish earner would take between 12 and 151 years to earn what many of the CEOs in question earned in a single year.

The report analyses the extent of high pay in 21 companies, which account for 95% of the value of the Irish stock exchange. It explains that there are five parts to executive pay: basic, bonus, long term investment plans, pension and benefits in kind.

Basic pay often accounts for just 30% of total executive remuneration packages, it says, with bonuses exceeding basic pay in many instances. The report also recommends that the remit of the Low Pay Commission be broadened to comprehend the ratio between the lowest and highest paid in society.

A motion tabled for a recent Dáil debate on the Government’s commitment to increase staffing in the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has been welcomed by IMPACT. The union’s NEPS branch has called for the immediate recruitment of at least 94 educational psychologists. It’s also seeking a Government commitment to recruit 17 more to meet increased serviced over the coming years.

The Fianna Fáil private members’ motion, which was tabled on 8^th March, called on the Government to act on its commitment to increase the number of psychologists by 65, and to ensure that no child assessed for special needs would be without adequate resources.

Fianna Fáil education spokesman Thomas Byrne also called on education minister Richard Bruton to introduce amending legislation to direct schools to provide special classes where necessary. Sinn Féin education spokeswoman Carol Nolan said 619 schools lacked access to a NEPS psychologist for an assessment.

IMPACT national secretary Andy Pike said the debate was welcome as it acknowledged the enormous amount of work – undertaken by the union’s NEPS branch over the last two years – to press for additional recruitment.

“The union’s efforts led directly to a commitment in the Programme for Government, and we have remained active in holding the Government to account, while also seeking cross party support for this vital service. This needs to remain a live issue until those commitments are realised, so it is appropriate and welcome to see this being debated in the Dáil,” he said.

A 2015 IMPACT report, The Way Forward: A School Psychological Service for ALL Children and Young People, outlined the need for increased investment in the service. It found that Ireland ranked 26^th globally on pupil-to-psychologist ratios, when one in four Irish pupils had special educational needs, and up to one in five were experiencing emotional or behavioural disorders.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is seeking urgent engagement with Government, opposition parties and business groups on preparations for a ‘hard Brexit,’ which could put thousands of jobs at risk. Congress also wants specific measures to protect employment standards in sectors most dependent on trade with the UK and northern Ireland, as these are most vulnerable to the new trade environment expected once Britain leaves the EU single market.

In a new bulletin, Congress says the Government has yet to publish a concrete plan to achieve its broad objectives of maintaining the common travel area, preventing a hard border, and protecting the provisions of the Good Friday agreement.

It calls on the administration to set out a detailed set of policy principals now that the British Government and the European Commission have published white papers on Brexit.

Unions believe Brexit will lead to the imposition of trade barriers, currency fluctuations, and a slowdown in the British economy, which is Ireland’s largest single export market. “Although both governments have emphasised their wish to see a ‘seamless’ and ‘frictionless’ border, Congress believes this would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in practice,” it says.

Former IMPACT official Louise O’Donnell has won a public competition to become one of three Labour Court deputy chairmen. Louise worked for the union for 17 years following a long period as an activist in the civil service.

Louise served in many roles in the union and was an elected member of its central executive committee before she joined the staff. She was national secretary with responsibility for the Health and Welfare division before she left the union in October 2015 to take up post as a ‘worker member’ of the Labour Court. She had also worked with Dublin local authority branches.

The competition for the Labour Court position was run by the Public Appointments Commission.

Members of IMPACT’s young members’ working group are holding a table quiz to raise funds for World Vision Ireland’s humanitarian work with refugee Syrian children. The event takes place at IMPACT’s Dublin office at 6.30pm on 4th May, and branches are being invited to participate.

The cost is €100 for a table of four, and donations are also being accepted from members and branches who are unable to attend. The money will support World Vision Ireland’s work with young Syrian refugees. The charity’s Ireland ambassador, Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham, recently visited Syrian children in Jordan.

The event will also feature a special screening of a short documentary film about ICTU’s visit to the Calais refugee camps, as well as a raffle. Food and drink will be available.

If you or your branch are interested in attending, you should contact lead organiser Joe O’Connor (joconnor@impact.ie). Or send donations to Joe at IMPACT Trade Union, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

Planned industrial action by members of Dublin fire brigade was averted earlier this month following an intervention by the Dublin Lord Mayor Brendan Carr. The action, scheduled for 18^th and 27^th March, was called off by IMPACT and Siptu after a subsequent meeting with city council management.

Arising from the discussions facilitated by the Lord Mayor, the unions secured a management commitment to enter an independent process, chaired by the former Workplace Relations Commission chief Kieran Mulvey.

More details here

Last Tuesday (14^th March), the country awoke to the awful news that Irish coast guard helicopter Rescue 116 had gone missing. As details of the accident unfolded, members of IMPACT’s IAESA and IALPA branches felt a particularly keen sadness, because their colleagues – Mark Duffy, Dara Fitzpatrick, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith – were lost in the tragedy.

The Dublin-based Sikorsky rescue helicopter and its crew were providing support for a sister aircraft as it helped an injured fisherman working 250 kilometres west of the Mayo coast.  The crew was making its way back to refuel at Blacksod lighthouse when the helicopter experienced a catastrophic event.

Reflecting the country’s universal sense of loss and sadness, President Michael D Higgins described it as a dark day in the history of the Irish coast guard, and said the people of Ireland were indebted to the "courage, resolution and exemplary commitment" of Captain Fitzpatrick and her crew.

Captain Fitzpatrick and Captain Mark Duffy were members of IMPACT’s IALPA (pilots) branch, while winchmen Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith were members of the union’s Irish Aviation Executive Staff Association (IAESA) branch.

In a statement, IAESA said that, along with the entire aviation family, its members were devastated at the loss of the crew of Rescue 116. “That they did not return safely from their work on Tuesday is a tragedy that is keenly felt throughout the trade union family.

“The IAESA branch is proud to have represented Ciaran and Paul. They are in our thoughts constantly, as are their families their colleagues and all the staff at CHC, to whom we offer all the support we can. At this very sad time, we embrace with love and compassion our comrades’ families, colleagues and friends.” It said.

IALPA expressed heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the crew. “The decorated crew of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy, Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby paid the ultimate price in their service to the State and the people of Ireland should be proud to have men and women like the crew of 'Rescue 116' watching over them. IALPA are proud to have represented Dara and Mark, and have offered any assistance we can in the aftermath of this tragic accident,” it said.

IMPACT President Pat Fallon said the entire organisation shared the sadness felt by the two branches for their colleagues and co-union members. “The entire IMPACT family shares your pride in your co-workers and your pain at their loss. We send our profound sympathies to the families, colleagues and communities of Mark Duffy, Dara Fitzpatrick, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith,” he said.

Go Mairidis Beo.

IMPACT provoked a huge response, from across the political spectrum, to its ongoing social media campaign aimed at winning support for legislation compelling firms to publish details of their gender pay gap. The initiative focusses on the idea that women effectively work 71 minutes for free each working day when compared to their male counterparts. In other words, they are ‘clocked out by the pay gap’ at 15:50 each day.

Earlier this month, IMPACT called for cross-party support for a Labour Party Bill that aims to introduce gender pay gap reporting in Ireland. The union also welcomed a provision in the Bill that would require employers to disaggregate data on the age and part-time or full-time status of employees – a specific measure IMPACT had called for.

In February, IMPACT petitioned the Irish Government to introduce regulations requiring employers to disclose gender pay gap information after similar regulations were drafted in the UK, where they are set to come into effect in April. The British regulations will require large employers to publish details of the average hourly pay of women and men in their employment, and to calculate the gap between the two.

With Ireland’s national gender pay gap stubbornly stuck at 14%, IMPACT equality officer Ger O’Brien said Ireland would benefit from similar transparency. “The disclosure of data like this is key to addressing the gender pay gap. What gets measured gets done, and publishing this kind of information would represent a real and concrete action on the part of employers”.

The day after IMPACT sent its request to Government, Labour leader Brendan Howlin asked Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil to support IMPACT’s call for new law. The union is now asking all party leaders to support Labour’s Bill.

You can join the campaign by following @IMPACTTU on Twitter.

Public expenditure minister Paschal Donohoe has reiterated the Government’s commitment to negotiating a new public service pay deal, and said pay rises were the “sign of a normal functioning economy.”

Speaking at the prestigious Industrial Relations News annual conference earlier this month, the Minister called for productivity measures introduced under recent agreements to be maintained, and said further productivity improvements would be needed to underpin future pay increases and investment in public services.

He made specific reference to the additional hours introduced under the Haddington Road agreement, saying they “remain critical to enabling us to meet increased demand in frontline services, and to improve services to the public generally.”

In response, IMPACT said it was no surprise that the Government was taking a firm stand on working time and other issues in advance of negotiations, which are expected to commence after the Public Service Pay Commission reports in the spring.

A union spokesperson said: “IMPACT’s priority in the forthcoming talks will be to secure a pay round and restore incomes through the unwinding of the ‘FEMPI’ legislation, which introduced pay cuts and the pension levy, in the shortest possible time.

“Minister Donohoe’s comments on hours and other productivity measures are further evidence that public servants have made a large and tangible contribution to Ireland’s recovery, a point he explicitly acknowledged in his speech. We accept the point that any deal must be sustainable, and that there are competing demands on the public purse. Nevertheless, working time will be on our agenda when we enter talks in a couple of months’ time.”

The Minister gave a strong endorsement to a “fair and stable” industrial relations environment and said the Government was committed to reaching a deal in the forthcoming talks. He said that, even in difficult times, the last three public service agreements had ensured “no lay-offs and no leap-fogging.”

He said groups who “shout loudest,” or were “best placed to influence” should not get better treatment than others. “We have to ensure an equitable approach that considers all of our public servants on equal merit.  An inclusive collective approach is the best way to do that,” he said.

The conference also heard about new research that shows half of all private companies plan to increase pay in 2017, a figure that rises to 66% in unionised companies.

IMPACT has sought the application of new civil service travel and subsistence rates across the public service. The union expects the matter to be discussed at a meeting with local government management this week, and letters have also been sent to officials in the education and health sectors.

Similar rates to those agreed in the civil service are usually applied across the public service – as well as being used in other sectors – because they have Revenue approval.

In a move designed to reduce carbon emissions, the new rates encourage the use of more environmentally-friendly vehicles and methods of travel. This is in line with national policy on climate action.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform published the revised civil service rates earlier this month. Unions and management agreed them following an arbitration hearing on a new system to calculate expenses for work-related travel. The new rates will apply from next month.

This is the first time motor travel rates have increased since they were cut by 25% in 2010. The new formula for calculating travel expenses – the first since 2005 – is to remain in place for at least three years.

IMPACT national secretary Andy Pike said the revised system, which takes account of overheads and running costs, can be easily updated with new data. “The intention is to create a more transparent method for the review of motor travel rates in future,” he said.

You can get more information on the new civil service rates HERE.

IMPACT will launch its new national Early Education branch this Saturday (25^th March). The branch will provide an effective and professional focus for the campaign for adequate investment in and professionalisation of the sector, with agreed salary scales and a proper career path for early education staff.

The meeting will also elect officers for the new branch.

The launch will feature professor of early childhood Mathias Urban. IMPACT experts in early education campaigning – including delivering professional salary scales and career progression – will also speak about the union’s strategy for organising the sector.

IMPACT organiser Lisa Connell said the new branch would represent early education professionals in a campaign for professionalisation of the sector. “Professionalisation can only happen with increased government investment and funding for agreed salary scales for early education staff. This campaign can help that happen by building a stronger, more united voice for workers in the sector.”

The launch takes place at 11.30am on Saturday 25^th March in IMPACT’s Head Office (Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1, D01 R2C5). Places are limited so you should register here if you want to attend.